Timpie Canyon is a short fork of Shinob Canyon that drains into Grand Wash The canyon is good, but really short It most memorable for its stunning beautiful, and stunning large second rappel This is NOT a good choice for beginners The second rappel is long, and requires skill and friction to safely descend Some are using a chockstone mid-way to break the drop into two shorter drops, or downclimbing the last 30-40 feet This is not recommended A fall would be catastrophic if downclimbing, and rigging off the chocksto...

The Chimney Rock trail offers big views in a moderate hike from the trailhead With a relatively easy 35 mile roundtrip distance and 810 feet of elevation gain, this is a popular hike accessible to most The hike starts with views of Chimney Rock, an impressive Chinle Capped Moenkopi tower, and then winds up through the geological layers to a viewpoint of Chimney Rock, Waterpocket Fold, and Fruita from above Sunset is an amazing time to visit For those looking for an all-day hike, this is the starting section of Lowe...

Starting from the Wheeler Peak Trailhead at nearly 10,000 feet in elevation, the Bristlecone Grove Trail leads into the neighborhood of the oldest living non-clonal organisms on Earth The hike winds through subalpine forest before ascending to a high, rocky moraine where Great Basin bristlecone pines Pinus longaeva have survived extreme winds, freezing temperatures, and thin soil for over 4,000 years Their gnarled and twisted trunks look more like wood sculptures than typical trees, thriving in conditions where few...

The Fiery Furnace is an Entrada Sandstone maze in the heart of Arches National Park The Furnace is the place to wander in Arches National Park if you like confusing route finding, towering walls, incredible tight cracks, and almost limitless corridors to explore It is an easy place to get turned around in Though true "Not all those who wander are lost", they might well be lost in the Fiery Furnace The Park service strongly recommends participating in one of their guided tours through the Fiery Furnace before ventur...

I think there are two ways to best experience Grand Teton National Park The first is to climb one of the peaks A few have non-technical routes, and many have some of the nations classic technical routes All the peaks, however, require excellent physical condition and a high level of skill and experience The other way to best see the park, in my opinion, is to float a section of the Snake This gets you away from the crowds and tourist areas, and offers incredible scenery and a very high likelihood of seeing wildlife...

Big Horn Canyon is a difficult canyon to recommend as a canyoneering destination The actual canyon portion is short, and not terribly exciting What makes this a trip worth recommending, however, is the approach hike The views and scenery on the approach are fantastic If you are looking for a hike with a little bit of technical canyoneering thrown in, this is a good choice If you are looking for a canyoneering adventure, look elsewhere Visiting Big Horn Canyon also visits [my:linkToObject type="trip" id="243" text="...

U-Turn, perched high above Park Avenue provides a great adventure in Arches The canyon in well suited to beginners, and provides unparalleled views of the park This is a great route year around, but best done in the evenings during the hottest times of the year The approach gully goes into the shade several hours before sunset, making evening approaches pleasant in the summer

Elephant Butte, at 5653 ft, is the highest point in Arches National Park The route, winding through the maze of Entrada fins, requires good route finding or persistence, a rappel, and a bit of lower 5th class climbing to reach some of the best views around This lofty summit has wide views of most of Arches, Castle Valley, and the La Sal Mountains It is one of my favorite adventures in the park, partly for the views but also for the challenging route finding and climbing sections to get to the summit Difficulty Note...

Arches National Park, with its high visitation, can sometimes feel crowded, and more like a day at the mall than a day in the wilderness Lost and Found canyon is a wilderness experience tucked away in a very busy National Park You are not likely to see others during your visit here but are likely to experience the quiet beauty that is the magic of wilderness The canyon itself is exquisite and unique The first rappel goes through a small natural bridge Magic! The rest of the journey takes you through an otherworldly...

The Baker Creek Loop Trail turned out to be a charming hike We had a few hours before our cave tour, and this was reasonably close and fit the bill for being doable before our tour, so we decided to check it out The hike takes a couple of hours and visits portions of Baker Creek and the South Fork Baker Creek For Great Basin National Park, it is mid-elevation, and on our hot summer day, it was warm, but not brutally hot The mid-elevation also makes this a popular hike earlier in the spring when the Bristlecone Trai...